Darkness.

God, he loved the darkness. Lloyd Garmadon pulled his hood off his head and looked out at his world. Ninjago was his. All his. And nobody could stand in his way. Lloyd smiled.

It was perfect. Ninjago was his kingdom. He was the king here. He didn't even need a crown; everyone knew he was their new evil ruler. He was feared and respected. He loved it. This feeling of power… he finally understood his father's desires.

"Young lord, we have captured the ninja," Skales hissed, kneeling at the boy's feet. The Serpentine used to mock him, but now… now he was truly evil. Powerful.

"Good," He said. "You snakes aren't completely useless, then. Bring me to them."

Skales nodded and turned, slithering into the building. Lloyd followed him, pulling his hood back up as he did. They went down, into his 'dungeon'. Well, really, it was the basement. Lloyd had turned this building into his headquarters, his 'castle'.

"You are dismissed, Skales." He said once they reached the basement.

The Hypnobrai general bowed and slithered off. "Yessss, massster."

Lloyd looked at the four ninja and smiled. Perfect. They were locked up in separate cages, like animals. Kai was bloody and beaten, but still fighting, yelling angrily as he attacked the bars. Cole was nursing a broken arm. Zane was calm, as usual. Jay was freaking out, hugging his knees and rocking back and forth, babbling on worriedly.

"Hello, ninja. I hope you're comfortable." He sneered.

"Comfortable?! Hello, we're in cages!" Kai growled. "Who are you, anyway?!"

Lloyd laughed. "Oh, you don't remember me? Well, I suppose I have changed," He smirked. "I was a naive child last time you saw me. You were always so annoying, the four of you… but now, you're completely powerless…"

"Who are you?!" Kai demanded again.

Lloyd smirked and removed his hood. "Remember me?"

"L… Lloyd?" Kai's face went pale.

"Lloyd?! Y-you mean, that's little Lloyd Garmadon?!" Jay gasped.

"I'm not 'little' anymore." Lloyd said. "I've changed. I'm not the same Lloyd you picked on."

"P-picked on? We never picked on you," Cole said.

"Hanging me from a sign and teasing me with candy wasn't picking on me?" Lloyd growled.

"Lloyd, we weren't…" Kai began.

"You were bullying me." Lloyd's fists clenched.

"Lloyd, think about what you're doing!" Cole cried.

"I know what I'm doing." Lloyd said. "Everyone loves me now. They respect me. They fear me. And it's better than being ignored."

"Lloyd, please. It's not too late. You don't have to do this," Jay said. "You can come back to the side of good."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?!" Lloyd growled.

"Lloyd, stop. This is crazy! This isn't you. What happened to the old Lloyd? The sweet, if somewhat mischievous, candy-loving kid we knew?"

Lloyd pulled a knife from a pocket in his hoodie and grabbed Kai's arm. "I told you. That Lloyd is gone." He said, shoving the knife into Kai's side and twisting. "And don't refer to me—him like that. We were never 'friends'."

Kai yelled in pain. "L-Lloyd, why?" He gasped. "Please, we never meant… to hurt you in any way. I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You're not sorry!" Lloyd twisted the knife, pushing it in further.

Kai screamed again, even louder. "AAAAAGHH! Lloyd, s-stop! Please. This isn't you!"

"This is me, Kai," Lloyd said. "The new, and improved, Lloyd Garmadon."

Lloyd pulled the knife out of Kai, wiped it clean, and put it back into his hoodie. "Never talk to me like that again."

Kai watched the boy turn and walk away. "What happened to you?" He asked. "You used to be so… so young and sweet and cute. Now you're… a monster."

Lloyd turned around, his eyes wide and angry. "What did you call me?!"

"A monster," Kai repeated.

"I'm… I'm NOT a monster!" Lloyd cried, grabbing Kai by the shirt and yanking him out of the cage. "I'm not. You don't know what I've been through! Why I turned out this way!"

"You're right. I don't know." Kai said. "But I'd be willing to listen. We all would."

The others nodded. "Yeah," Cole said. "We don't know, but we're willing to find out."

Lloyd froze. He let go of Kai's shirt, dropping him to the ground. "No." He said. "You're not my friends. You never were, and you never will be."

"Only if you don't let us." Kai said.

"S-stop! I'm not the gullible, stupid kid you used to know!" Lloyd said. "You don't know anything about me! All I wanted… all I ever wanted was someone, a friend, a mother, a father… someone to be there! I never got it! All I ever got… was you four picking on me! And you wonder why I turned out like this."

"I'm… so sorry." Jay whispered.

"Yeah, we never meant for this to happen…" Kai said.

"We had no idea we were hurting you so badly." Cole added.

"It doesn't matter now. It's behind me." Lloyd said. "I don't need your pity or sympathy. Goodbye."

He turned around and started walking away. He walked back up to the roof and sat on the edge, staring out at Ninjago City. For the first time since he'd gone evil, he was starting to wonder… to reconsider his actions.